"Community pharmacists are well-positioned to serve as a resource for consumers on the risks of illegitimate online drug sellers. They are one of the most accessible health care providers in the community and available to help educate their patients on the importance of obtaining medications through legitimate pharmacies where the drugs are sourced through the legitimate U.S. supply chain," NACDS said in its statement.

NACDS also outlined policy solutions to address challenges with online drug sellers that operate outside the legitimate U.S. drug distribution supply chain, including targeting illegal online drug sellers by impeding their operations and the use of the .pharmacy Internet domain name, now in the process of being registered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) .

"We support targeting illegal Internet drug sellers through the chokepoint approach," NACDS stated. "Under this approach, Internet service entities and companies, financial entities that handle payment transactions for online sales, Internet service providers and common carriers that provide the mailing services would have authority to stop illicit transactions at their point of interaction with these bad actors."

The association also pointed to NABP's effort to serve as the registry for the .pharmacy designation to legitimate online pharmacies, which would give consumers worldwide an easy way to identify safe online pharmacies. Earlier this week, NABP said it has been cleared to enter contract talks with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to own and operate the .pharmacy domain suffix.

"Chain pharmacy is committed to working with Congress to protect U.S. consumers and the health care system from the risks of counterfeit and adulterated drugs," NACDS said in its statement.